Leupold believes continuing to design and build its products in America gives it a big leg up on the competition.
Big Advantage
Leupold believes continuing to design and build its products in America gives it a big leg up on the competition.
By Shannon Farlow
Leupold’s ultimate goal is to design high-quality optics that shooters and hunters can count on in any situation.
The latest generation of riflescopes and red-dot sights provides a strong testament to the ongoing innovation seen in the shooting optics. Industry legend Leupold & Stevens is at the forefront of much of that development, and for more than 75 years it has designed some of the most renowned riflescopes in the industry. The Oregon-based manufacturer continues to lead the way with a variety of award-winning optics, including the DeltaPoint Micro, a low-profile red dot designed for concealed carry.
Behind the DeltaPoint Micro
Leupold introduced the DeltaPoint Pro to the shooting world in 2016. Since that time, the red-dot optic has become a best-seller. Elite military teams around the world use it.
The recently introduced DeltaPoint Micro is Leupold’s first red dot designed specifically for concealed carry. Measuring a compact 1.25 inches tall, the low-profile optic mounts on a handgun’s rear-sight dovetail at the same height as factory irons. It conceals easily and provides lightning-fast target acquisition.
According to president and CEO Bruce Pettet, Leupold entered the concealed-carry red-dot market because they recognized an opportunity to lead that category. “We have a lot of experience making performance red-dot optics. We wanted to take that experience and drive it into something that we felt would be really strong around concealed carry,” he says. “If you get behind the DeltaPoint Micro and actually spend some time with the optic, you'll be amazed at how accurate it will make you. It’s going to really change what people think about having optics on concealed-carry guns.”
Quality and Durability
Leupold isn’t focused on being the largest optics maker in the world, says Pettet. Instead, they’re concentrated on being the best. Their goal is to deliver the highest-quality optics that shooters can count on in any situation. Pettet cites the Leupold Mark 5HD as a prime example. Development of the award-winning riflescope took three and a half years of non-stop iterating, testing, and tweaking using in-house systems and processes that the company developed over decades.
“When you're on the top of the mountain and you've finally drawn a sheep tag after waiting 25 years, there's no FedEx that shows up to replace your riflescope. It has to work—so we have to guarantee performance. To do that, you must have great quality systems like we have,” Pettet says. “More importantly, we outfit a lot of our warfighters and a lot of our law-enforcement professionals with our optics. Same thing there—it has to work. They’re in life-and-death situations. There's a moment of truth when that optic absolutely has to perform. It gives me chills talking about it, but I love the fact that our optics come through when they have to.”
American-Made Advantage
Leupold has been making optics in the U.S. since Fred Leupold and Adam Volpel founded the company in 1907. Today, Leupold & Stevens, Inc. employs approximately 750 team members—including nearly 85 highly skilled engineers—at their facility in Beaverton, Oregon.
“We have a great team. We have a team that knows how to win. Right now, we are at an all-time level of performance on every metric of the business,” Pettet says. “It's because we have a team that is very focused on making a great product, on building a great brand, and a culture that supports that.”
Remaining a successful family-owned business for more than 100 years is a remarkable feat for any company. The fact that Leupold continues to manufacture all their riflescopes in the United States makes the achievement that much more impressive. Pettet believes that much of their success can be credited to keeping their operations in Oregon.
“I understand why other people don't do it. It's really hard. It’s a lot easier to go over to a factory in Asia where there are three or four brands coming down the line and you stick your logo on there. We could do that and probably sell some for a short period of time at lower price points. But at the end of the day, the expectation of our consumer is that when they get a Leupold, they're going to get an American-made quality riflescope that's going to deliver. We think it's an advantage, and we have a great team here that proves that every day.”
Continuing to Innovate
Leupold has several new products currently in the works. That includes further models of the DeltaPoint Micro, ensuring it will be compatible with an even more diverse array of popular handguns. Leupold is also planning to expand their VX-family of riflescopes. However, Pettet is careful not to reveal too many details before they’re ready to go to market.
“We have great stuff coming. My engineering team will lose their minds if I actually leak it, but I'm telling you there are some great, great VX products coming down the line,” he says. “We've got an incredible five-year product roadmap. The next level of product we are developing is going to beat the best—which is actually what we have now.” (leupold.com)
